Semifinals: (16) Mike Sigrist (Jund) vs. Jon Bolding (Naya Company)

Jacob Van Lunen began playing Magic in 1995. He has participated in organized play at every level of competition and was a member of the winning team at Pro Tour San Diego in 2007, thanks to an innovative draft strategy. As a writer, Van Lunen has had more than three hundred Magic strategy pieces published

This last year has been kind to (16) Mike Sigrist. Sigrist celebrated the birth of his twin daughters, won Player of the Year, and has found himself in countless Top 8s, including last weekend at Grand Prix New York where he went undefeated in the swiss. Sigrist's Jund deck has been dismantling opponents all weekend as he's fought his way to the semifinals of this tournament.

Four years ago, Jon Bolding won Grand Prix Charleston in South Carolina. A win here at Grand Prix Charlotte would mean that he's won a Grand Prix in both Carolinas, an unusual feat that has never been previously achieved by any planeswalker. Bolding's innovative Naya Collected Company deck is very strong against fair strategies like the one he's seated across from in this semifinal match. To make things even scarier for Sigrist, Bolding has access to Blood Moon. Blood Moon has always been one of the better cards against Jund decks, especially when on the play.

The two sat down and started sharing stories from the weekend as they looked over one another's lists.

Bolding told a harrowing tale from round 15, “My Scapeshift opponent mulliganed to three in my win-and-in match and I almost lost.”

“I once mulliganed to three in a game of Magic for $20,000, (referring to the finals of Pro Tour Magic Origins) it happens,” Sigrist has a strange sense of what happens.

Reigning Player of the Year Mike Sigrist is in his second Grand Prix Top 8 in as many weekends!

In the first game, Sigrist went down to six cards and got things started with a Dark Confidant.

Dark Confidant is one of the best cards in this matchup because of its ability to constantly fill Sigrist's hand with removal spells.